This book honors over fifty remarkable women. Their stories span the years from colonial America to the computer age. Several profiles represent women who broke through prejudicial gender barriers to become the first females to enter professions normally reserved for men. Others were adventurers, inventors, women’s rights activists, campaigners for social justice, entrepreneurs, athletes, artists, humanitarians, geniuses in science and math, secret agents, survivors of intolerable conditions, and just plain dreamers and contrarians. One characteristic all of these exceptional women shared was the strength to overcome whatever challenges they faced. They each had the gumption displayed by the iconic figure Rosie the Riveter, a symbol of the millions of women who worked at jobs in factories and shipyards during World War II. With her hair wrapped in a colorful bandana and the sleeves of her denim shirt rolled up, Rosie flexed her muscles and proclaimed, “We Can Do It!” And they did.
(Gemini Originals, 2025)

“For Paul Martin, fascinating history is a loud discovery in a quiet library. The characters called to him from the pages of history books, whispered from brief mentions of TV shows and clambered from the pages of historical society records, all begging to share their stories with someone who would listen.”
—CNN

“You may not recognize the names of the people profiled, but they deserve just as much credit as the household names that you will find in the history books.” —National Geographic

“These are not the landing on the moon type of hero but the hero who helped change the path of history in a positive way, then quickly disappeared from the public consciousness.” —UCM Magazine

“Martin’s writing style has a snappy readability. Martin has traveled to about 30 countries and met scores of people with compelling stories, which is one reason he appreciates telling untold tales.” —Mizzou Magazine